Space 11
10:34:34 PM Josie: Coil has just been given a kitty. 10:34:48 PM Josie: Stella is shopping for her sister and the slug. 10:35:24 PM Coil: Indeed! Coil was going to go meet up with Stella again. 10:38:16 PM Josie: She's in the boutique, paying for several large bags. 10:41:27 PM Josie: Stella waves to him as he approaches. 10:44:20 PM Coil: Coil walks up with the kitten in his hands. 10:45:06 PM Josie: Stella: You... have a kitten. That's the contraband you were looking for? 10:45:27 PM Coil: No. This was a premium for being a good customer, apparently. 10:45:41 PM Josie: She puts out her hand and scritches the little thing's head, gently. It mews, adorably. 10:45:49 PM Josie: Stella: Oh. Well, it's adorable. 10:45:57 PM Josie: Stella: What next? 10:46:04 PM Coil: Apparently she will always remain a kitten. 10:47:02 PM Coil: Next? I figure I'll get some supplies for the ship. 10:47:04 PM Josie: Stella: That's even more adorable. 10:47:14 PM Josie: Stella: What kinds of supplies? 10:47:28 PM Coil: Just the standard stuff. Food, medical supplies. 10:48:38 PM Josie: Stella: Well, let's go, then. 10:49:37 PM Coil: Coil nods. "How was... um, shopping?" 10:50:19 PM Josie: Stella: I got all kinds of clothes for Irene. And Althea. 10:50:34 PM Josie: Stella: I tried to pick things that Irene would like, because I don't know what Althea likes. 10:50:59 PM Coil: Well, to be fair, I don't think that Althea knows what she likes yet, either. 10:53:13 PM Josie: Stella: She'll sort it out. Where to first? 10:53:42 PM Josie: She has the desk clerk write out a delivery order for the stuff she bought, to deliver it to the station so they don't have to carry it. 10:54:36 PM Coil: There's a supplier not far from here where I can make the orders I need. You want lunch? I want lunch. 10:55:20 PM Josie: Stella: Lunch sounds nice. 10:55:30 PM Coil: Lets get lunch. 10:55:38 PM Josie: Stella: Let's go somewhere nice. 10:57:18 PM Coil: Sure. I know a place not far from the park. 10:58:04 PM Josie: Stella: I have plenty of money. 10:58:48 PM Coil: I used to meet clients around here. 10:59:13 PM Josie: Stella: Clients? 11:01:52 PM Josie: She takes his arm, gracefully. 11:02:12 PM Coil: Yeah. I always insisted on a face to face meeting with my clients. 11:02:50 PM | Edited 11:02:56 PM Josie: Stella: Why? 11:03:49 PM Coil: Just the way I liked it. 11:05:20 PM Josie: Stella: And you were a professional. 11:05:23 PM Coil: The clients and the targets I always met face to face. 11:06:49 PM Josie: Stella: Both of them. Not at the same time, one assumes. 11:07:32 PM Coil: No. Well, once. At a party. 11:08:02 PM Josie: Stella: Awkward. 11:08:09 PM Josie: Stella: But you don't do it anymore. 11:08:18 PM Coil: No. 11:09:15 PM Josie: Stella: Do you know anyone who does? 11:10:21 PM Coil: There weren't conventions, if that's what you mean. I knew of others. Even met one or two, but I don't stay in contact or anything. Why? 11:12:38 PM Josie: Stella: There's someone. 11:12:57 PM Coil: Who? 11:13:52 PM Josie: Stella: ... someone who hurt me. It's not important. 11:14:08 PM Coil: Apparently it is. 11:15:01 PM Josie: Stella: Not if you don't do it anymore. 11:15:35 PM Coil: ... I don't. I'm sorry. 11:16:16 PM Josie: Stella: Nothing will change your mind? 11:18:31 PM Coil: ...no. Unless this person tries to kill me or someone I care about. 11:19:34 PM Josie: She gets a very *odd* look on her face. "I see." 11:22:16 PM Coil: ((For what it's worth, and she might be able to pick on this, he's very flexible about mortality. He doesn't have a lot of hangups about killing.)) 11:22:57 PM Coil: ((It could be that he's feeling very manipulated at the moment.)) 11:23:05 PM Josie: ((Quite possibly.)) 11:23:39 PM Josie: Stella: I'm not asking you to do it for nothing, or because of anything... personal. 11:24:19 PM Coil: What did this person do? 11:25:19 PM Josie: Stella: It's... hard for me to talk about it. Medical experimentation on humans, I suppose you could say. 11:26:45 PM Coil: I always asked my clients 'why should I kill this person'. 11:26:59 PM Coil: I was good. I could afford to be picky. 11:28:13 PM Josie: Stella: You're retired. I shouldn't have asked. ... I'm sorry. 11:28:31 PM Coil: You know why I retired? 11:29:36 PM Josie: Stella: Why? 11:31:20 PM Coil: I was killing a crimeboss. Worked in prostituion, slaving, drug running, illegal augments, you name it. If it was slimy and awful, he did it. 11:31:39 PM Josie: Stella nods. 11:35:45 PM Coil: Well, I got into his villa up in the mountains of Triskel. Crept into his office. He didn't see me, he was on the com with someone. Got behind his chair, pulled my gun, killed him. He didn't see me coming. He slumped forward, and I saw on his terminal screen... a child. His son. Four years old. Kid watched his dad get shot in the head from behind. 11:36:28 PM Josie: Stella: You couldn't have known. 11:36:58 PM Coil: The guy *deserved* it. I don't regret killing him. 11:37:18 PM Josie: Stella: But it bothers you that the child had to see it. 11:38:14 PM Coil: Yeah. 11:39:29 PM Coil: Kid didn't know his father was a monster. He would have found out. Maybe become a monster himself. But... at four, he watched his father die on the screen in front of him. I heard him wailing as I left the office. 11:40:00 PM Josie: Stella stops and hugs Coil. 11:40:40 PM Coil: Coil hugs her back. 11:42:27 PM Josie: Stella: It wasn't your fault. I understand why you stopped; I won't ask again. 11:44:37 PM Coil: Well, now you know. 11:48:27 PM Josie: Stella smiles. "I won't bring it up again." 11:50:11 PM Coil: Okay. Lunch? 11:51:32 PM Josie: Stella: Lunch. Unless you'd rather do something else. 11:51:46 PM Coil: I'm pretty hungry. 11:53:38 PM Josie: Stella: I haven't eaten for a while either, honestly. 11:53:57 PM Coil: Well, let's eat then. 11:55:39 PM Josie: You reach the restaurant! What type of restaurant is it? 11:56:43 PM Coil: ((I dunno! Maybe one of those places where they bring skewers of meat to you table and you sample them.)) 11:57:43 PM Josie: ((I have never been to one of those! It sounds good, though!)) 11:58:30 PM Coil: ((I've been to this place that does it once... it was brazilian. It was very good.)) 11:59:34 PM Josie: ((Omnom.)) 11:59:45 PM Coil: ((So yeah, one of those places!)) 11:59:59 PM Josie: It's a pretty upscale place, but not *super* upscale, so your clothes blend in pretty well as you're escorted to your tables. 12:00:35 AM Josie: Stella has gone a little bit quiet, and she's stroking the little white kitten. 12:01:27 AM Josie: The waiter comes and drops off menus and takes your drink orders; Stella orders gin, neat. 12:04:36 AM Coil: Coil orders water! 12:04:42 AM Coil: But, like, fancy water. 12:05:33 AM Josie: He can get all kinds of fancy water! Fruit infused, fizzy, you name it! 12:05:59 AM Coil: Fizzzzzzy. 12:06:57 AM Josie: Indeed! The waiter brings your drinks, and Stella sips at hers, petting the kitten. She seems to be thinking. 12:07:12 AM Coil: Whats on your mind? 12:09:10 AM Josie: Stella: The past. 12:09:18 AM Josie: She smiles; there's a bit of sadness in it. 12:12:30 AM Josie: Stella: But the present is much nicer, isn't it? 12:12:57 AM Coil: You shoiuldn't live in the past. It's like a room that it's easy to get locked in. 12:14:03 AM Josie: Stella: Sometimes it feels like the future is closing in. 12:14:18 AM Coil: Does it? 12:15:10 AM Josie: Stella: To me, anyway. 12:15:16 AM Coil: Why? 12:16:59 AM Josie: Stella: Life is short. Anything could happen on a ship like yours. 12:17:34 AM Josie: The waiter comes again and takes your orders! 12:18:38 AM Coil: Coil orders the MEEEEEAT. 12:19:50 AM Josie: She orders too! 12:20:44 AM Coil: Coil waits for the waiter to leave. "There's more than that, isn't there?" 12:22:13 AM Josie: Stella: ... If I tell you, it'll change things between us. 12:22:42 AM Coil: Will it? 12:24:10 AM Josie: Stella: I don't want it to change. And I've been thinking about tonight. 12:26:18 AM Coil: Oh? 12:27:11 AM Josie: Stella: Haven't you? 12:30:29 AM Coil: Well... is there something happening tonight? Or were you teasing? 12:30:44 AM Josie: Stella: Why would I tease? 12:32:27 AM Coil: Well, you have a vagueness to you. 12:33:50 AM Josie: Stella: I didn't want to spoil the mystery by being direct. 12:33:59 AM Josie: Your salads arrive! 12:36:00 AM Coil: As you can guess, I'm a direct kind of guy. 12:37:42 AM Josie: Stella: I do like that about you. 12:38:20 AM Josie: Stella: ... if I were direct, I'd have dragged you into a closet by now. 12:39:28 AM Coil: Well, it's probably good that one of is indirect, then. 12:41:30 AM Josie: Stella: Yes. Working around all the brooms probably wouldn't be ideal. 12:42:51 AM Coil: It might be tricky, yes. 12:44:09 AM Josie: Stella: I'd like to see what you can do under more ideal circumstances. 12:47:59 AM Josie: Stella: On a bed, or a soft carpet. 12:48:15 AM Josie: Stella: ... a table would be all right, I suppose. 12:49:28 AM Coil: Coil chuckles.